S05 Episode 249 | Isiah Magsino on fashion's current obsession with *genderless* and paying respect to queer & trans communities who have been stepping out of the binary forever

<p class=""><img src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/99761/Ep248-IsiahMagsino-libsyn.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" /></p> <p class="">In episode 249, Kestrel welcomes Isiah Magsino, a writer based in New York City, to the show. With bylines in <em>Vogue</em>, <em>GQ</em>, <em>W</em>, <em>Nylon</em>, <em>Architectural Digest</em>, and more, <a href= "https://isiahmagsino.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isiah</a> is focused on writing about the beautiful things in life.</p> <p><strong>“While it’s mainstream now, it’s important to recognize where it comes from, and the adversity that was faced from doing so back in the day. You know, we’re at a point where it’s a little more accepted, which is amazing, but before we go into marketing everything as genderless, I think it’s important to know the struggle that came from crossdressing or drag or even participating in genderless fashion to begin with.” -Isiah</strong></p> <p class="">One of fashion’s newest words to embrace - when it comes to marketing jargon - is <strong>GENDERLESS</strong>. </p> <p class="">As this week’s guest points out, the term genderless is currently en vogue - and it’s starting to sound like sustainability did a few months ago. Press releases that were framed around “sustainability this or sustainability that” are now shifting to language centered around genderless or gender fluid styles. </p> <p class="">At first glance, fashion’s embrace of genderless clothing seems fantastic (as well as being something that should have happened ages and ages ago).</p> <p class="">But approaching genderless as a trend, not acknowledging the history of gender noncomforming dress and especially, not giving credit where credit is due — to queer and trans people who have been stepping out of the binary for hundreds of year, is where it gets super problematic. </p> <p class="">This week’s guest recently wrote a piece for <em>W Magazine</em> that explores all of the above, through interviews with mostly trans women, in an effort to share more on th